GiveBackKids
Teaching design thinking to five-year-olds
First lesson of GiveBackKids for Pre-K and Kindergarten
3 months
4-module curriculum
PROBLEM
Design thinking for 5-year-olds: how do we teach it?
Our partners at GiveBackHack teach design thinking skills to hundreds of adults each year. But when they were tapped to build those skills with K-4 students, a bunch of questions arose: How exactly do we speak “5-year-old"? And how might educators teach this stuff after we leave the classroom? After an initial prototype for their first year, GiveBackHack talked with us to arrange a sprint ahead of year two: 3 months to test, validate, and deliver a 4-module K-4 design thinking curriculum.
DISCOVERY
Learning from facilitators, teachers, and curriculum writers
Iuka scheduled interviews for the duration of the sprint. We targeted facilitators, teachers, and curriculum writers. An interview or two a week allowed for continuous feedback on the materials as they were written. Teachers helped us simplify our concepts to meet grade-level SEL goals, curriculum writers informed our decision to include pre-block lesson maps for teachers, and facilitators told us what ideas the kids resonated with the most.
Interview snapshots from conversations with K-5 teachers
SOLUTION
Flexibile curriculum that centers play
We co-defined “success” with GiveBackHack: a curriculum that’s flexible for teachers, integrative with core academic concepts, and keeps the students playing—all within budget. We delivered 23 unique lessons available for purchase through GiveBackHack.
Original outline of curriculum with grade-adjusted lessons in color
OUTCOMES
Beyond the product: 400+ students
Over 400 elementary students from Columbus City Schools have learned design thinking skills with GiveBackKids since 2022. And after it's first year in classrooms, GiveBackHack won additional funding from The Columbus Foundation to pay facilitators, recruit volunteers, and train teachers on design principles. Learn more about our partnership below.